Plants of the UNF Campus

Thevetia peruviana - Peruvian oleander, Lucky nut
Family Apocynaceae

Description:

About eight species of Thevetia
are native to tropical North and South America.
The name of this plant suggests that it is native to South
America but references are unclear or conflicting about details
beyond “tropical America.”
In warm climates, this is a small, evergreen tree. It resembles an oleander but
with narrower leaves. Flowers are yellow or orange-yellow bells that hang from
branch tips.

Some references list this as a hardy plant in Jacksonville’s climate
while others say that we are at the northern edge of its cold hardiness range.
We will test this donated plant to see how it performs on campus. It may not be
reliable in the colder parts of northeast Florida.